With three major storms hitting in less than a month, Rockport Rotarians answered the call in a major way — raising a combined total of $14,100 from club member contributions and matching funds from the club's coffers. Checks have gone out, including $4,700 each to:

Disaster Aid USA (a project of the Rotary Club of Historic Prince George’s Co, Maryland) for their on-the-ground relief efforts in the Greater Houston area after Hurricane Harvey

Rotary Foundation Donor-Advised Fund for Hurricane Maria

Rotary Foundation Donor-Advised Fund for Hurricane Irma

Rockport Rotary trusts in the Rotary Foundation and Disaster Aid USA, and know that these funds will be put to the best use. The membership is happy to help out with the recovery after these destructive storms.

Volunteers from Rockport Rotary recently spent a pair of Saturdays working to scrape and repaint the Hearse House on Beach Street. Located at the Old First Parish Burying Ground, the Hearse House contains a hearse purchased by the town in 1836. Now that painting is completed, a light will be installed so that visitors can see the hearse inside.

The numbers are in from this year's Polar Plunge, and Rockport Rotary raised a total of $1,915 to raise awareness and fight polio.

The Rockport Rotary members were among more than 250 Rotarians and others who plunged into the icy waters of Long Beach in Gloucester as part of the Rotary District 7930’s seventh annual Polar Plunge on February 4, 2017.

Rockport Rotary is part of an umbrella Rotary Foundation, a humanitarian service organization with nearly 34,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Combined Rotary clubs have raised more than $55,000 this year which will be matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Rotary effort will pay for over a quarter of a million polio vaccines — at just 60 cents per vaccine — for children worldwide. This year’s event added to the over $510,000 raised by local Rotary clubs since the Polar Plunge began seven years ago.

“If you want to feel alive, do the Polar Plunge to end polio,” Rockport Rotarian's largest contributor, Bob Gillis, said.

Rotary made polio eradication its top priority in 1985. Since 1988, the number of polio cases has been reduced by 99.9%. The Americas were declared free from polio in 1994, the Western Pacific region in 2000, and Europe in 2002. A highly infectious disease, polio still strikes children mainly under the age of 5 in parts of Africa and South Asia. Polio can cause paralysis and sometimes death.

In the fight to eradicate polio, Rotary has contributed $1.2 billion, and its members have logged countless volunteer hours to help immunize more than 2 billion children in 122 countries. Case numbers of the disease have never been lower, and only three countries — Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan — have yet to stop the transmission.

About Rockport

Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for both community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of professionals who share your drive to give back.

Our club accepts new members by invitation.

Rotary at a Glance

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels.

Contact Us

Keep in touch, or reach out to us from via our social media websites!

All materials and photos, unless otherwise specified, copyright of Rotary Club of Rockport.All Rotary marks, logos, and copyrighted content is owned by Rotary International, used with permission.